Ingenious Inkling

Henna Frame

Anne graciously agreed to host this week's SplitCoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge since I was a tad overscheduled for the weekend ... however I had a few minutes this morning to create before the activies begin, so I thought it would be fun to join her.  I chose this wonderful Albena Carved Frame from My Deco to inspire me ... I loved the wonderful white-on-white texture.

Since it's Earth Day on Monday, Playing in Paradise is using something recycled ... so I dug back through my paper sample books and found a gorgeous linen paper with wonderful recycled threads running through it.  I wanted to try out my new Darice Henna Embossing Folder ... and love the effect.

I used another scrap of recycled paper to stamp my Birthday Sentiment from Crafter's Companion Swentiment Swirls, and added some black mats to incorporate the *frame* design.

Patchwork Wagon of Toys

Don't let this week's Unscripted Sketch scare you ... it just a focal image with a square on each corner ... and two long skinny rectangles on each side.  Remember, it's an *unscripted* sketch to use as little or as much of it that works for you.

Every time I order from Ellen Hutson, she alwyas includes a cute little thank you image with my package.  They are just too darn cute to recycle, so I save them & try to re-use them for cards when I can (this one is called Wagon of Toys).

I used four different coordinating papers from Simple Stories Handmade holiday ... it reminds me of a patchwork crazy quilt.

Polar Bear Warm Wishes

We're still celebrating Earth Day at Jingle Belles, so I made a card from my favorite recycling stash.  One year I saw a large box of paper sample books sitting by the recycling bin.  I asked the marketing team if they minded if I took them home ... and every year since then, when the new books arrive from all of the paper manufacturers, the retired books go home with me.

The pieces of paper are small, but they are perfect for card making ... and since each book has the entire range of each paper line, there are usually at least several pages of heavy, linen-like cardstock that is so elegant.

This card is made entirely of papers from my sample book stash ... including the polar bear which was in one of the books showing samples of how cool it looked to print colored photos on a shimmery cardstock.

It's hard to see, but the background is a gorgeous linen paper with thin stripe embossed texture ... and the thick silver metallic cardstock was perfect for punched snowflake embellishments.  All I had to add from my crafting stash was an EAD Designs Vinyl Rub-on sentiment and black adhesive pearls for the centers of the snowflakes.

The layout is this week's Retro Sketch flipped on it's side.

Thursday Link Love

More fun funds from my blogland wandering:

• This NYC loft apartment make-over is inspiring ... love the open feel
• A Baked Bloomin' Onion ... sounds delicious
• I discovered Food Gawker this week ... could get lost there for days
• A fabulous idea for displaying photographs (and so easy to change them out when you take new ones)
• Wonderful vintage whales (shown)... and ideas for ways to create with them.
• Tutorial for adding shape to punched flowers
• Who knew plastic baked goods containers could become lovely card embellishments?
• These little quilled owls are adorable
• Tips for taking great street photographs
• An inspiring crafty studio with lots of candy for your creative eyes

Happy Thursday

Musical Leafy Vines

I was blessed to receive a large bag filled with pages of vintage sheet music from a friend.  As I went through my treasure trove, I discovered several drum line pieces that were sized for marching band ... absolutely perfect for the front of a card.

Hero Arts Leafy Vines is one of my favorite stamps right now ... no matter how I use it, it looks good (here stamped in Art Print Brown Memories ink ... I love how the ink just sinks into the vintage paper).  I added a sentiment & flower embellishment using this week's Freshly Made Sketches ... and the Just For Her Challenge at Hero Arts.

Drink Coffee

This card is inspired by the fact that I've gone 5 days without caffeine ... and am still suffering the ill-effects of withdrawal.  When I saw this week's Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger Wake-Up Call, I knew exactly which EAD Designs sticker I wanted to use as my focal image.

Then when I saw this week's Runway Inspired Challenge, I knew what I wanted to use as my background image (Hero Arts Dandelion Background) ... which is also perfect for the Background Challenge at the Simon Says Stamp & Show Blog.

 

I added a thin red frame inspired by the pop of red lipstick on the model.

And since the word of the day is Coffee (or in my case of caffeine addiction, Diet Dr. Pepper, although I do love the smell of coffee), I'm also joining the CASology Word Challenge.

Birthday Lantern Celebration

The April AEI♥U Challenge is to create a card inspired by this gorgeous wedding photo.

Even though I own several Avery Elle Stamp Sets, I decided to use the freebie image she provided for the challenge and play with sparkle & color.  

I copied the image and re-sized it, so I ended-up with six lanterns on my card.  I re-positioned the sentiment to provide more balance to the design.  I printed my digital creation onto kraft cardstock base (to try to get the feeling of the dark wooden ceiling in the photo) & then three more times onto DCWV textured colored cardstock to detail cut the lanterns.  One trick when cutting circles is to roll the edges on a black ink pade when you're done to give a consistent edge.

Next I used a white colored pencil & one shade darker than the cardstock to provide a little shading and dimension.  I finished by squirting Crystal Stickles on my finger and ribbon it horizontally across each lantern ... which is perfect for the Just Add Glitter Recipe Swap at the Catered Crop.

This happy card screamed birthday to me ... so that's the sentiment I included on the inside.

Fusion Stormy Skies

Having a little fun with the Fusion Hypothesis #2 tonight ... for some reason when I saw the grey dots in the pillows ... I saw clouds ... and the lime chevrons were lighting strikes ... so that's where my Fusion Hypothesis began.

I stamped Hero Arts Clouds on a piece of stormy grey designer paper from Simple Stories Urban Traveler.  Next I stamped the Hero Arts Chevron Background in Neon Green ink.

The sentiment from Glow Girl was stamped in Charcoal and again in Neon Green.  I finished with a wrap of Grey Hemp Cord and a sentiment from Heydey Sentiments to add a bit of sunshine to this cloudy design.

Thank You Sketch

This was my first card using the Sunday Sketch at Studio Calico.  I used an ivory card base with several Studio Calico papers and a wood grain paper tag.

I needed thank you cards, so I used the little wooden Thank You sentiment included with this month's card kit and colored it with Spectrum Noir Markers to coordinate.  I finished with some epoxy dots in coordinating colors.

While I thought this card was *OK* ... I thought I could do better, so here's my second attempt.

This time I combined a white wood grain paper tag with three different designer papers.  I stuck with the expoxy dot accents, but stamped the Thank You sentiment this time.  I must admit, I like this one better.  The white tag seems to really make those bright colors pop.

With my big circle & circle shaped epoxy dots, I'm also joining the Round & Round Challenge at CAS on Sunday ... as well as the Tag You're It! Challenge at Sentiment Sundays (with my wood grain paper tags).

Orange You Glad ...

I wanted to join Orange You Glad It's Friday? Be Inspired Challenge at The Alley Way Stamps to make a card inspired by this photograph.

I needed a get well card, so I stamped the bandaid from Gotta Bug? with a little face.  I used my orange glitter pen to highlight the bandaid and the thermometer.

Next I stamped one of the speech bubbles from Talk to Me, and then stamped the Gotta Bug? sentiment inside.  

I die cut my background from some orange patterned cardstock using PaperTrey Ink QuatreFoil Die Cut and then attached it to a light blue base, incorporated the shades from this week's Dynamic Duos Challenge.

I attached my stamped elements with foam tape for dimension & then added a few *bugs* to the background (accented with orange glitter pen).